No clarity NHS plans frustrating - health chief

The Prime Minister announced he would abolish NHS England and bring functions back under government control

A "deeply frustrated" health chief has accused the government of a lack of clarity over plans to cut about 50% of his organisation's budget as part of its scrapping of NHS England.

Roger Dunshea, acting chair of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, which employs about 313 people, said he found the potential job losses "devastating" for people who now faced uncertainty.

It came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced NHS England would be abolished in a bid to cut bureaucracy and duplication.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the changes would "liberate" front-line workers from excessive and competing directions.

The board of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin was told staff would be given "support and guidance" while more detail was sought over the organisation's future.

Addressing Wednesday's board meeting, Mr Dunshea said: "The feedback leaves me deeply frustrated and no clarity at all is coming out of this."

The integrated care board, which commissions health services in the area, has been tasked with delivering a balanced budget by 2027-28, but was told it was currently facing a £12m deficit at the end of this financial year.

Roger Dunshea said he was left frustrated by the government's announcement

Of the request to cut budgets by 50%, in line with the rest of NHS England, Mr Dunshea said: "The figures are challenging to say the least, and the timetable we have been given is all nigh impossible. We will try to get clarity as soon as we can."

Several board members said patients were worried about how the changes might affect their care.

Dave Bennett, associate non-executive director, said the financial situation meant they faced "serious challenges" to deliver the required savings.

The scrapping of NHS England would see the organisation's functions come back under the control of the Department of Health and Social Care.

The announcement formed part of a wider plan on reforming the state, which Sir Keir said had become "overstretched" and "unfocused".

"Over a number of years politicians have chosen to hide behind vast arrays of quangos, arm's length bodies, regulators, reviews," he said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.